Chapter Twenty-One: Rumors

Page 1/3

Wang Binghuan suddenly heard those words and abruptly widened his eyes, his face full of disbelief. He looked up, his gaze horrified. "You—you’re crazy?"

Fifty thousand yuan! If he had fifty thousand yuan, he would have married Ruan Tang long before Huo Yanxiu!

And now Huo Yanxiu was boldly asking him for that much—

He must be insane!

Wang Binghuan hurriedly broke free from Huo Yanxiu’s embrace and put a great distance between them.

He turned to look at Ruan Tang but was blocked by Huo Yanxiu’s smiling face.

Huo Yanxiu smiled kindly and said, “Ten yuan per look. Do you have the money?”

At these words, Wang Binghuan immediately looked away but still mustered his courage to say, “Ruan—Ruan Tang! I’m waiting for you!”

After saying this, he quickly turned and fled as if escaping, afraid that Huo Yanxiu would chase after him to demand money.

Watching Wang Binghuan disappear from sight, the smile on Huo Yanxiu’s face vanished instantly, replaced by calmness.

He walked to the door and closed it, then returned to Ruan Tang’s side.

Ruan Tang’s expression was complicated. “You—”

Huo Yanxiu paused for a moment, then understood what she was hesitant to say. He comforted her with an explanation, “To deal with scoundrels, you have to use scoundrel methods.”

Ruan Tang pursed her lips and looked straight into Huo Yanxiu’s eyes, her face serious. “If Wang Binghuan hadn’t barged into our home and I hadn’t mistaken him for a petty thief, I wouldn’t have anything to do with him.”

Huo Yanxiu looked at Ruan Tang’s stubborn eyes and chuckled, “It’s alright.”

Then he gently patted her shoulder with a smile. “As long as you’re fine, and Qingqing is fine, that’s what matters. The process isn’t important.”

He had a slight fondness for Ruan Tang and was prepared to live with her for the rest of his life—of course, on the condition that she wouldn’t ask for a divorce.

With Qingqing in his life, his desire for romance was faint; he felt the way things were now was quite good.

The only flaw was Ruan Tang’s father, Ruan Datong, who was a gambler.

Thinking of Ruan Datong, Huo Yanxiu looked at Ruan Tang and quietly said, “Let’s go inside first.”

Ruan Tang, still somewhat moved, nodded and went inside with him.

Meanwhile, at the Huo family home.

Huo’s mother was grumbling as she tidied the dishes, with Lin Hui quietly helping her.

“That second son is truly ungrateful, causing enmity with his parents over a woman who’s been married less than half a month—”

Page 2/3

Huo’s mother spat and cursed viciously, “Such a rotten heart!”

Huo’s father sat under a tree holding Huo Qian, frowning as he pondered the change in Huo Yanxiu’s attitude.

Before Qingqing appeared, Huo Yanxiu had been respectful and filial to them; since then, he had grown cold, selfish, and heartless, as if they were strangers.

Huo’s father’s heart tightened, and he suddenly stood up, recalling what the village chief told him two days ago. He hurriedly released Huo Qian and rushed toward the village chief’s home.

Could it be that Huo Yanxiu had discovered something?

Lost in thought, Huo’s father left.

Seeing this, Huo’s mother snorted and threw the chores onto Lin Hui, then relaxed and led Huo Qian with a kindly smile. “Good boy, Grandma will take you to the village for a stroll and to digest your meal.”

Huo Qian, still upset over apologizing to Huo Qingqing, pouted, “I want candy!”

Huo’s mother comforted him, “Alright, then we’ll buy candy and take a walk.”

Huo Qian brightened, “Okay!”

The two left the house.

Lin Hui’s eyes flickered slightly. After they left, she quietly got up and went to a dark corner of the house.

She had spread the rumors about Ruan Tang around the village. A woman like Ruan Tang was simply unworthy of being her son’s wife.

Huo’s mother had come out to see what people thought of Ruan Tang.

It was just after dinner, and everyone was gathered under the large tree in the village center to enjoy the evening breeze.

Many children sat beside their parents or grandparents, playing nearby.

The only family in the village with a radio had brought it out for everyone’s entertainment. Nearby, village wives and brothers maintained order, so no one dared misbehave.

Huo’s mother, holding Huo Qian’s hand, smiled as she sat on a moved stool and turned to chat with a nearby woman.

She asked, “Li sister, is that rumor true? Did Ruan Tang really sleep with Wang Binghuan?”

Because Huo’s mother was an elder, the woman surnamed Li dared not conceal the truth but also did not speak clearly.

She replied vaguely, “Probably, I’m not sure; I only heard it from others.”

Huo’s mother did not need a clear answer; hearing this, she nodded with satisfaction, exactly the effect she wanted.

Now she just waited for Huo Yanxiu and Ruan Tang to quarrel and divorce, so her own Zhao Yingyun could take her place.

Afterwards, Huo’s mother chatted a bit more with other women about Ruan Tang and learned that Wang Binghuan had been lingering at Huo Yanxiu’s doorstep, entangled with Ruan Tang. Her heart soared with joy.

It seemed her plan would soon come to fruition.

Page 3/3

Ruan Tang’s debt of one hundred eighty yuan would soon no longer need to be repaid—

Huo’s mother secretly rejoiced.

Back at the Huo family home.

After a warm family dinner, Huo Yanxiu pulled Ruan Tang aside and whispered, “Has your father come asking you for money these days?”

He knew Ruan Tang couldn’t shake off her father, so after resigning, he planned to help her clear Ruan Datong’s debts, using that as leverage to sever their relationship.

Ruan Tang couldn’t help but look up, her eyes filled with surprise. “You—you knew?”

She had thought Huo Yanxiu was unaware of Ruan Datong’s debts.

Huo Yanxiu frowned. “What Ruan Datong has done has long been known throughout the nearby villages; anyone should know some of it.”

Ruan Tang rubbed her forehead. She had thought Huo Yanxiu married her out of ignorance, but now it seemed he purely took pity on her.

She hesitated for a moment. “Then why did you marry me?”

Huo Yanxiu shook his head. “At the time, I didn’t think about much. I just chose you because you liked children very much.”

Ruan Tang laughed bitterly inside; actually, the old Ruan Tang didn’t like children at all—it was all an act.

But she dared not say this aloud, only grumbled silently in her heart, showing a trace of helplessness on her face.

“I’ve cut ties with Ruan Datong, don’t worry.”

Ruan Tang reassured Huo Yanxiu.

Huo Yanxiu was momentarily stunned. “When did that happen?”

The Ruan family’s village considered this a disgrace, so no one talked about it. How Huo Shancheng knew was unknown.

Ruan Tang pursed her lips. “Shortly after you left.”

Huo Yanxiu pressed his lips together. “You must have put a lot of thought into it and suffered many grievances. You’ve been through a lot.”

The man’s unexpected tenderness caused Ruan Tang to lean closer. She looked up at Huo Yanxiu’s long lashes and his dark, gentle eyes. His skin was delicate beyond belief, unlike the weathered skin of those who had endured much hardship, sending a tingling sensation through her.

Quickly, Ruan Tang withdrew her hand, her heart pounding uncontrollably. She restrained her fluttering feelings, cleared her throat, and turned away. “It didn’t take much effort, just a little scheming.”